Meet Tash Willmore
From Near-Tragedy to running a successful creative agency for 16 years - here’s how Tash Willmore did it.
I am so excited this week to share a female founder who inspires me both as a business-owner and a friend. Tash Willmore (née Culpepper) left a successful role at an agency to set up her own business in 2005, but was seriously injured in a road accident on her last day of work, leaving her jobless and bed-bound with a long recovery ahead. Determination to succeed and well-earned goodwill amongst her contacts saw Tash building her business, Culpepper & Co, with clients sitting at her bedside, discussing their brand and shaping their business strategy. Tash is proof of how important a community is when it comes to business, and life in general. She mingled her own directive and creative skills with the expert offerings of web designers, copywriters and graphic designers to form Culpepper & Co and her business model is still working 16 years later, with the Culpepper Family creating superb work under her flexible and supportive leadership. So without further ado, meet Tash Willmore.
tash willmore - creative director of culpepper & co
Tash, in the Your AJency community there are people who are just at the idea stage, perhaps have just launched or maybe have an established business. These ‘Moments to Motivate’ interviews are all about celebrating amazing women and their businesses!
Tell us a little about your journey with Culpepper, including some of the highs and lows.
I’m no stranger to dealing with unexpected challenges. I think that makes me a great person to have on your side when you’re managing the ups and downs of life in charge of a small organisation!
In 2005, I left a successful role at a Cheltenham-based agency to set up my own business but was seriously injured in a road accident on my last day. I’d say that this put me at my lowest point in life, let alone my career; jobless and bed-bound with a long recovery ahead.
I had to build up my business with clients sitting beside my bed and, due to an amazing network of talented creatives and loyal clients, I somehow made it work, and here we are 16 years later!
One of my earliest clients was Cacklebean Eggs – a small family business based in the Cotswolds. They remain a client, and creating their brand remains one of the biggest highpoints of my career.
With Cacklebean I was able to work at my most creative, supporting a small business with a big vision. They said that their dream was to produce the best eggs in the world, that would be served in the best places in the world. By creating a brand that set them at this level, encouraging them to live their brand, and implementing their vision in a competitive market, we achieved this dream. Today Cacklebean Eggs are served in the world’s most illustrious eateries, from Michelin star restaurants to the MasterChef Kitchen.
Quite simply, the quality of their brand matched the quality of their offering, and many years later it is still working for them. I take great pleasure in continuing to work with them, supporting them on their incredible journey.
That’s so inspiring to know that a small family-owned business has achieved such amazing goals from their original dream. What was your big dream for Culpepper - what was your driver in launching it?
Deciding to go it alone was a daunting enough prospect, but as previously mentioned, my life dramatically changed the night I left my old life to begin the business. I needed a huge driver to continue, and luckily I had it in the form of my husband, Mark. Quite simply, he believed that I could do it.
We were 2 self-employed people living on a credit card. I was in hospital for 6 months and he supported me during that time whilst I was unable to work. When I came home, he went back to work and, with his encouragement and belief in me, I set up work from my bed.
Mark, and now, my daughter Maisie, drive me to succeed every day. There were many times that I could have given up the freelance life and taken up a job, but the flexibility of being self-employed meant that I have been able to bring up my daughter as I’d wanted to, attend hospital appointments and live a balanced life on my terms.
I believe working flexibly is so important. I’m proud that Culpepper clients and the other creative freelancers I work with benefit from this ethos too. Many of us have young families, or run businesses that don’t allow free time in ‘office hours’. Because of the flexible nature of Culpepper, we speak and meet in the evenings and even at weekends, allowing us to drive projects forward whilst finding time for the other important things in our lives.
We couldn’t agree more - the juggle of being a parent and a business owner is a tough one! How do you balance being a successful business owner and being present for your daughter?
I schedule work around school holidays and inset days – I book myself out during those times. It may be that I do some limited work during these times, but I don’t overload myself.
When Maisie was little I always worked around her timings - you cannot do both at the same time. If that means working in the evenings, then do so – but plan it so that you have boundaries and can be kind to yourself. If your kids go to bed at 7pm, then work until 9pm. Then it’s time for a glass of wine with your partner or a bubble bath – whatever constitutes quality ‘me time’. Fitting this in is vital every day.
Sometimes we all have to go the extra mile and I’ve been known to pull an all-nighter on more than one occasion (not recommended!!), but it’s always best to aim for a healthy balance.
“We should all try to embrace whatever life throws our way”
Another thing is that I’ve always been honest with people about Maisie, whether she was playing in the background while I had a phone meeting, or on the odd occasion when she had to join me at a client’s.
The fact is that a lot of my clients and freelancers are parents as well and sometimes (if appropriate) babies and children are present at meetings. Maisie has grown up with some of my clients and they know her as well as they know me.
One final thing… you CANNOT underestimate the support of family and friends (and neighbours!). If the people in your life are offering to help you for a couple of hours, then let them.
Yes! As the saying goes, “it takes a village to raise a child!” That’s such great advice for keeping that work-life balance! When it comes to business then, and as a branding expert, what are your absolute "must-dos" for any business owner?
1. Know your audience – know who you’re talking to. Define their needs, the challenges they face, their likes and dislikes and what makes them tick.
2. Stay authentic – don’t try to be someone you’re not. Believe in yourself and broadcast that authenticity in everything you do. Be faithful to your brand values and brand ethics – they come from you and they represent you, so stick to them regardless of outside influences.
3. Know your strengths and don’t be afraid to ask for help. Delegate in the areas of support that you need to people who are skilled, experienced, well-renowned, and who care about your ambitions as much as you do.
I’d definitely agree that those three things are at the foundation of any successful business! What’s the best advice anyone has every given you in terms of being an entrepreneur?
Value your time and value your health. The two things have a price and need to go side by side.
So important and it all relates back to why you started Culpepper & Co in the first place - if you want to create a balance, you have to value both your time and your health for sure.
And do you think there are bad recommendations that you hear in your profession or area of expertise?
Yes, absolutely. I hear ‘You just need a logo’ all the time. As we all know, a brand is so much more than this. A logo is part of a toolkit, but every part of your visual identity works hard for your business, and a logo cannot do it alone.
Yes, a logo is just one of the part that makes up your brand identity. What do you think makes a great brand in your expert opinion?
Great brands are authentic, real and talk to people on their level. The ethics and values at the foundation of your business need to shine through at every touchpoint, and in everything you do.
What has been the single biggest thing you have done that resulted in growth?
Working with a creative family – my freelance team. It expands my capacity and my offering, and allows my clients a really broad spectrum of creativity and skills which can be applied to any creative project that people need support with.
Do you think that’s been the best business investment you have made to date?
Yes. 100%. I invest in people, I support them to live a vibrant, inspiring, creative work life that supports their family or life values and the things that are important to them.
I need to do this so that they’ll come back and work with me again – they’ll be inspired to keep going and not go off and get a job!
We love that. Working as a business owner can also be a lonely affair so having a team you can work with is always so great.
Looking back, is there anything you would have done differently?
I would have been braver about seeking financial and personal investment much earlier than I did.
I am not a natural business owner; I am a creative. It is only recently that I have taken on the support of a business mentorship programme, which has led to financial advice, obtaining funding and software support.
For much of my time as a self-employed business owner, I have coped alone and I know now that you really don’t need to. Don’t be afraid of asking for help from lenders and from business mentors. Places like your local Growth Hub are fantastic for this.
On those days that you do feel overwhelmed or unfocused, or maybe if you just lose focus temporarily, what do you do? How do you refocus your brain?
I switch the computer off and step away from the desk. It always helps to go and do something else for a while, whether it’s walking the dog or having a cup of tea.
Yes, sometimes just changing your physical space is exactly what you need. There have been so many highlights for Culpepper over the last 16 years, but do you have any particular personal highlights so far?
Definitely. A personal highlight has to be donating my time to the creation of a charity cookbook for Maggie’s Cancer Centres called Recipes to Remember. So far, we have raised over £20k with sales of the book, and I look at this project as a personal privilege since my own family needed the support of Maggie’s in the past. I wanted to help to raise their profile and it provided an opportunity to do just that.
That was a truly amazing project to be a part of, I know. Tash and I actually got the chance to work on this together. The work that the people at Maggie’s do is simply incredible. Do you have people that inspire you as a leader and entrepreneur in business?
Yes, I do have a few. My top three would be:
Holly Tucker (Founder of Not on The High Street). I admire how she supports small business, women in business – she is an inspiring shining light
Mo Gawdat (Former Chief Business Owner of Google [X] and author of Solve For Happy). The way Mo lives his life is completely inspiring. Following terrible tragedy he changed his life outlook in a way that really resonates with me
Steven Bartlett (Entrepreneur and Host of The Diary of a CEO podcast). If you follow Steven on social media then you know about the support he gives to so many. His podcasts are brilliant and he is just a good person
All great people to follow. We often refer to Holly Tucker’s advice ourselves. And lastly Tash, do you have a life motto or any words you live by?
YES - you can do it. I don’t say no to anything if I can help it, and I think we should all try to embrace whatever life throws our way.
On that note, I want to say a huge thank you to Tash for being a part of our Moments to Motivate series. I have loved each and every project we have worked on together and feel so inspired by her strength when things couldn’t have got much worse, but also her immense talent. She is the kindest, talented creative who I feel lucky to have met! If you want to learn more about Tash, or the work that Culpepper & Co offer, be sure to check out her website or follow her on Instagram.
Tash Willmore and her team of Creatives provide meaningful, intuitive brand support to small businesses and charities in the form of Brand Discovery Workshops, design, illustration, digital marketing, website creation and copywriting, along with print, photography and videography.
They support small business owners, helping them to see the value and potential of their unique offerings, and believe strongly in the importance of kindness, supporting their clients with understanding and empathy.
During Tash’s now infamous Brand Discovery Workshops, she gently guide business owners through the dreams they have for their business, redefining and shaping ideas so that, in the words of one client; “They helped me fall in love with my business again.”
Whether creating a fresh brand, revitalising marketing collateral, or supporting adhoc campaigns, Tash’s infectious enthusiasm combined with decades of strategic knowledge provide motivation and direction for fledgling entrepreneurs and experienced business owners alike.